Romans 8: A Purposeful God Has a Purpose for His Children

Class Outline:

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Our heavenly blueprints have been stamped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re in the resident congregation turn off your electronic devices and put them away. Let this be a place where you aren’t distracted by the world.

 

Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

 

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact.  My name is Pastor Rory Clark.  Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson!

 

OPENING AGENDA

 

You may be wondering some things about Barah Ministries, like…

 

Who is the God we worship?

What is our source of truth?

Who is our enemy?

 

We’re always happy to begin each lesson by answering these questions.

 

Truth.

 

We come to Bible study to learn the truth.  The Lord Jesus Christ Himself testifies in a prayer to His Father in John, Chapter 17, Verse 17…

 

JOHN 17:17

Father, sanctify believers in Me in the truth…Your Word is truth.

 

If the truth is known, we can't get enough of the truth.

 

Who is the God We Worshipat Barah Ministries?

 

We worship a Triune Godhead.  There is One God who reveals Himself to

mankind as three beings who are separate…distinct…co-equal…co-infinite…

co-eternal Persons…God the Father…God the Son…and God the Holy Spirit.

 

GOD THE FATHER is the author of the Triune Godhead’s plan for all creatures.

God the Father is the true God…as His Son testifies to it in John, Chapter 17, Verse 3…

 

JOHN 17:17

This is the resurrection life (eternal life)…that believers in Me may know You, Father…the One and only true God…and that they may know Jesus…the Christ…the Jewish Messiah…whom You have sent.

 

We long to worship a God in whom there is no deception.

 

GOD THE SON (the Lord) volunteered to execute God the Father’s plan…taking on human form as Jesus…the Christ (the Jewish Messiah).  Jesus Christ is God.

When we stop to think about our relationship with the One true God it blows our minds…First Timothy, Chapter 3, Verse 16…

 

FIRST TIMOTHY 3:16

By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness…that the Lord Jesus Christ was revealed in the flesh (as 100% human)…was vindicated in the Spirit (as 100% true God)…was seen by angels…was proclaimed among the nations…was believed on in the world…was taken up (to heaven) in glory.

 

There is ONE AND ONLY ONE WAY to heaven.  If you invest your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ…asking Him to save you…He will save you.  When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you instantly have the resurrection life…eternal life…in His Name.

 

We worship GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.  He is our Mentor and Teacher.  He is a guide who is the rudder of a Christian’s life.  He is fully God, equal in every way to God the Father and God the Son.He is a Person.  He is not a “ghost” as some like to call Him.

 

God the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and leads us out of bondage into a life within the sphere of freedom…Second Corinthians, Chapter 3, Verse 17…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 3:17

Now the Lord is God the Holy the Spirit (He is Deity) …and where the Holy Spirit

of the Lord is, there is liberty.

 

In God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit…believers in Christ have a power team that is always on their side…a team specializing in the impossible…a team we can call on for help in times of trouble.

 

What is Our Source of Truthat Barah Ministries?

 

The Bible is the Word of God, and as such it is our source of absolute truth. As Christians, the way we develop a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Godhead…the way we get to know God as a Person…is through studying the Word of God.  The Bible makes a bold claim in Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verse 16…

 

SECOND TIMOTHY 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed (into the writers of Scripture)…

 

This claim is either true or false.  You get to decide for yourself if you believe what the Word of God is claiming.

 

The Bible is a supernatural work…breathed into human writers by God.  It does not come from man, and it provides the only source of absolute truth about eternal things.

 

As believers in Christ, we know the Word of God is true.  The likelihood of all the Biblical prophecies coming true that have come true so far is so mathematically improbably as to be ridiculous…yet the prophecies have all come true.

 

What is your source of truth?  Your source of truth for eternal matters is not an insignificant thing because it has eternal consequences.

 

Since the Bible is the Lord’s exact thinking, and since God is right all the time, the Bible is right all the time.  It contains no errors or contradictions.  You can trust the Bible as your source of truth.  At Barah Ministries, we teach the Bible from God’s perspective…not from man’s perspective…because we refuse to teach as doctrinal truth the very fallible precepts of men.

 

The best thing you can do for yourself EVERY DAY is to spend time reading, studying, and reflecting on God’s Word.  Schedule time to study and let God’s Word set the direction for your day.  The Bible changes your mind!

 

Who is Our Enemyat Barah Ministries?

 

GOD HAS AN ENEMY…Satan…whom God made ‘the ruler of this world’ for a finite period.  He is the enemy of believers in Christ as well.

 

As for Satan, there is no truth in him…only lies…Revelation, Chapter 12, Verse 9…

 

REVELATION 12:9a

And the great dragon was thrown down…the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan…who deceives the whole world…

 

Don’tbelieve his lies.  As human beings, there are few things we hate more than liars…those who INTENTIONALLY deceive.  Satan is a liar.  He promises everything through his agent…the flesh…delivers nothing but destruction…and leaves you to clean up his destruction.

 

The biggest enemy of believers in Christ is IGNORANCE OF THE ENEMY.  Don’t be ignorant.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

A Purposeful God Has a Purpose for His Children

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

We continue our study of Romans, Chapter 8…and today the Lord has five power-packed surprises for His believers…more gifts from the indescribable God that are guaranteed…four of which have happened for believers in Christ and one of which is coming.  And…as we do every month…we'll celebrate the Lord's Supper.

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!Satan, the enemy of God, is always encouraging us to have a “do it yourself” lifestyle.  It never works.  On the other hand, God encourages us to KNOW that He is eager to give us the desires of our heart…and when we don't know what we should pray for…He knows.  Here's Lauren Daigle to remind us…God, we must TRUST IN YOU.

 

MUSIC

OPENING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

TRUST IN YOU

Lauren Daigle

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father, we thank You for the lesson You are providing us with today…help us, through the lesson, to learn Your purpose for us…help us to remember how much You love us…and open our spiritual eyes to the difference between truth and deception…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

A Purposeful God Has a Purpose for His Children

 

LESSON PART ONE

 

The next passage in Romans, Chapter 8 is short…yet it is power-packed with promises that warm the heart of every believer in Christ.  God gives His children a series of assurances in the next few passages.  In fact, the next few passages are all about what God does for His helpless believers, who are as helpless after salvation as they were before salvation.

 

Prepare to have your mouths hanging open.

 

Here’s the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD TRANSLATION of the passage… Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 28 to 30…

 

ROMANS 8:28

And we know that God the Father causes all things to work together for good to those who love God…to those who are called according to His purpose.

 

ROMANS 8:29

For those whom God the Father foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…so that the Son would be the firstborn among many brethren…

 

ROMANS 8:30

…and these whom God the Father predestined, He also called…and these whom God the Father called, He also justified…and these whom God the Father justified, He also glorified.

 

Let’s take a look at the passage verse-by-verse beginning with Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 28…

 

ROMANS 8:28

And WE KNOW that God the Father causes all things to work together for good to those who love God the Father (that’s believers in Christ)…to those who are called according to God the Father’s purpose (that’s believers in Christ).

 

Why does God work all things together for the good of His children?  It’s because He loves us.

 

Throughout the letter to the Romans, it is proclaimed multiple times that we Christians KNOW!  It’s true!  Christians who study the Word of God know.  We have complete confidence in our God.

 

Often, you will hear Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 28 quoted this way, "All things work together for good."  That sounds like the mistaken colloquialism, "It's all good."  All is not good.

 

If things are to work together for good, there needs to be an agent…the SOURCE of good.  The source of good is our Almighty God.  He is the One who works all things together for good.

 

What does this mean?

 

Well let's bake a cake.  Let's start with vanilla extract.  Taste it.  Ewww!  Now flour.  Taste it.  Ewww!  Eggs.  Taste them.  Ewww!  Okay…how about water?  Taste it.  Not bad.  How about butter?  Taste it.  It sure would be better on toast.  There are more ingredients.  But most of these ingredients taste lousy on their own.

 

Well, when we bake a cake, the individual ingredients might not be tasty, just as every experience in life is not tasty, but when the cake ingredients are mixed together, the result is amazing.

 

How about salt?  Sodium Chloride.  Sodium alone can kill you.  Chloride alone can kill you.  Put the two together and you have salt, a mineral essential to life.  God is ALWAYS teaching us through everything in the entire created universe.

 

So it is with our lives.  There are good things that happen and there are things that happen we don’t like at all.

 

God works on our behalf.  He takes all the ups and downs of our lives and works them all together for good.  First John, Chapter 4, Verse 16…

 

FIRST JOHN 4:16

We believers in Christ have come to know and have believed the unconditional love which God has for us. God IS unconditional love…and the one who abides in His sphere of unconditional love…(that’s all believers in Christ)…abides in God…and God abides in him.

 

How could a God who loves us unconditionally do anything else BUT work all things together for our good?

 

Tell that to a mother who has lost a child.  She would be right to wonder exactly how God is going to work her child’s death together for her good.  We Christians don’t know HOW He will do it…but we have faith that He will do it.

 

Tell this to the woman who has cancer.  She takes the treatments.  The cancer appears to go away, then it is back.  She takes more treatments.  The cancer appears to be gone.  Then it is back.  The cycle continues over and over again a few more times.  What can we say to her?  We can say, "Watch!"  What do we want her to watch?  We want her to watch God working all of this together for her good.  And when it does, her faith in God is justified because He is able to do what the medical community is helpless to do.

 

God is the initiator in our lives.  First John, Chapter 4, Verse 10…

 

FIRST JOHN 4:10

In this is unconditional love…not that we loved God unconditionally…but that He

loved us unconditionally (first)…and (proved it when He) sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ took care of our sin problem and reconciled us to God the Father.  That sure worked all things together for good.

 

First John, Chapter 4, Verse 19…

 

FIRST JOHN 4:19

We love unconditionally because God the Father first loved us unconditionally.

 

We get to be a reflection of His unconditional love…it’s a part of the fruit produced in us by God the Holy Spirit.

 

This is the miracle…that our God cares about every minuscule detail in our lives, and He makes sure that all systems within us and outside of us work together for our good.  We don’t have the power to do the same.  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 28…

 

ROMANS 8:28

And WE KNOW that God the Father causes all things to work together for good to those who love God the Father (that’s believers in Christ)…to those who are called according to God the Father’s purpose (that’s believers in Christ).

 

Who are the ones called according to God’s purpose?  The elect!  Believers in Christ are the elect!  Ephesians, Chapter 3, Verse 11…

 

EPHESIANS 3:11

This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which God the Father carried out for those in union with the Christ…Jesus…our Lord…

 

We have a purpose-filled God who gives us purpose-filled lives…Second Timothy, Chapter 1, Verse 9…

 

SECOND TIMOTHY 1:9

…God has saved us believers in Christ and He has called us with a holy calling… not according to our works…but according to His own purpose and His own grace which was granted to those of us in union with Christ Jesus from all eternity…

We don’t have a “Johnny come lately” God.  He doesn't do His work in the thing we call "real-time."  He has always known exactly what things He would work together for good for believers in Christ.  Our God is an on-purpose God and He did His work in eternity past.

 

How does God work?  Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 6…

 

GALATIANS 5:6

For those in union with Christ Jesus…neither is circumcision anything…nor is uncircumcision anything (they have no value at all…especially in the matter of salvation)…but faith in God working through unconditional love means everything.

 

We have a God who works in love…and believers in Christ are the targets of His unconditional love…we are no longer targets of God the Father’s wrath.  First John, Chapter 5, Verse 20…

 

FIRST JOHN 5:20

And we believers in Christ know that the Son of God (the Lord) has come (in human form)…and God the Father has given us understanding…so that we may know Him who is true…and we are in union with Him who is true…in union with His Son… Jesus…the Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

 

The enemy inspires agnostics who claim, “The truth about God can’t be known.”  The enemy inspires atheists who claim, “There is no God.” But believers in Christ know this…Psalm 14, Verse 1…

 

PSALM 14:1

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

 

We know there is a God…we know He reveals Himself in ways that make sense to mankind…and we love it that He works all things together for our good.  We can confidently proclaim as believers in Christ, that WE KNOW “the universe” doesn’t give us jack squat.  The universe is inanimate…it is not the source of a single thing.  It is as much at the mercy of God as all of us.  God is the source.

 

Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 29 and 30 tell us five things that let believers in Christ know how special we are to God…

 

ROMANS 8:29

For those whom God the Father foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son (the Lord Jesus Christ)…so that the Lord would be the firstborn among many brethren...

 

ROMANS 8:30

...and these whom God the Father predestined, He also called…and these whom God the Father called, He also justified…and these whom God the Father justified, He also glorified.

 

Foreknew…predestined…called…justified…glorified.  Notice anything?  The past tense.  All of these things are done.  One of them we haven’t seen yet…but the missing one is the assurance we have an amazing future ahead of us.

 

Foreknew

 

God is omniscient, knowing all the knowable.  It would be easy to attribute His foreknowledge to things.  He foreknew He was going to create the earth.  He foreknew He was going to create the sun.  He foreknew He was going to create the moon.  However, all of those things pale compared to the foreknowledge that He was going to create YOU!

 

We have an intimate God who wants to be intimate with us.  You have always been in His mind by name, and there never will be a time when you aren’t in His mind.  So I ask you this…what problem do you have that He isn't going to work for your good when He has always known you and always wanted the best for you?

 

In foreknowledge, God the Father even foreknew that He would send His Son to take care of your sin problem…Acts, Chapter 2, Verse 23…

 

ACTS 2:23

…this Man (Jesus Christ)…delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God the Father…you nailed to a Cross by the hands of godless men (unbelievers) and put Him to death.

 

It’s a death He foreknew that He would be willing to die for you!

 

Predestined

 

Next, He mapped out a destiny for each of us whom He foreknew.  It’s called

Predestination.  God put into an account everything you would ever need for any purpose.

 

I always laugh when people think the planet is going to run out of water.  A man told me this week, “Phoenix is nice…but you guys are going to run out of water.”  I replied, “Yep…that’s our sadistic God.  I’ll bet when He was creating us He said to Himself, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I created them…made them to be 70% water…and then let them run out of the water they need to live?  That would be great for a few laughs.  Uh NO!’”  He looked at me as if I were crazy.

 

Predestination is the assurance that God has already provided, in the past, everything we could ever need.  So poo poo to global warming…poo poo to recycling…poo poo to all the other things that have been made up to scare us.  God has us covered.Hebrews, Chapter 2, Verses 10 and 11…

 

HEBREWS 2:10

For it was fitting for Jesus…for whom are all things…and through whom are all things…in bringing many sons to glory…to perfect the pioneer of their salvation through sufferings.

 

HEBREWS 2:11

For both Jesus who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one God and Father…for which reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brethren…

 

Called

 

This isn’t just an invitation to believe in Christ.  This is a proclamation that the Lord’s elect are the called ones from God…special creatures whom He foreknew and predestined to aset of mind-boggling privileges.  Second Thessalonians, Chapter 2, Verses 13 and 14…

 

SECOND THESSALONIANS 2:13

But we should always give thanks to God the Father for you…brethren…divinely beloved by the Lord…because God the Father has chosen you from the beginning (in eternity past)…for salvation through sanctification by God the Holy Spirit and by faith in the truth.

 

 

SECOND THESSALONIANS 2:14

It was for this (a set of mind-boggling privileges) that He called you through our gospel…that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

And speaking of mind-boggling privileges you are…

 

Justified

 

Because of God’s imputed righteousness…given to you at the moment of salvation…it is just as if you never sinned…you are perfect in God’s eyes.  You sit before His eyes and He admires His handiwork.  You are a work of art in God’s eyes.  Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 10…

 

EPHESIANS 2:10

For we believers in Christ are God the Father’s workmanship…created to be in union with Christ Jesus…created for good works…which good works God the Father prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

 

And it’s a privilege for this short time to walk in them…even though our walk is filled with tribulation.  Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verses 1 and 2…

 

HEBREWS 12:1

Therefore, since we believers in Christ have so great a cloud of Old Testament witnesses surrounding us…let us also lay aside every encumbrance…and the sin which so easily entangles us (buffeting us from all sides)…and let us run with endurance the race of our lives that is set before us…

 

HEBREWS 12:2

…fixing our eyes on Jesus…the pioneer and perfecter of faith…who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross (the ultimate tribulation)…despising the shame… He who has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God the Father.

 

And even though we don’t understand it yet…because believers in Christ are in union with Christ…and because we have everything Jesus has…we sit next to God the Father at his righthand with Jesus this very moment.

 

We’ll understand it all when we are…

 

Glorified

This glory has already occurred.  Yet the Lord Jesus Christ will get the privilege of opening our eyes to it, much like He took the scales off the apostle Paul’s eyes at his conversion.  In glory we will enjoy our redeemed body…our resurrection body…forever…at the coming of the Lord.

 

Let’s close with the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION…Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 28 to 30…

 

ROMANS 8:28

And we believers in Christ know that God the Father causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God the Father (that’s all believers in Christ) and to all who are called according to His purpose for them.

 

ROMANS 8:29

For God the Father knew his people in advance (foreknowledge)…and he predestined them to become like his Son (conformed to the Son’s image)… so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

 

ROMANS 8:30

And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself (justification).  And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.

 

All we can do is rest in awe of how amazing our God is, how intricate His plan is, and how intimate is our relationship with Him.

 

When we return from the break we’ll take the offering, and then we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

 

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

A Purposeful God Has a Purpose for His Children

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

One of the great pleasures of life is givingtime, talent, and treasure to those who want to learn about the Lord Jesus Christfree of charge.  True ministry involves giving, not receiving.  Yet it’s an equal pleasure being given to in return.  In Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 17, the apostle Paul says…

 

PHILIPPIANS 4:17

Not that I seek the gift (for myself…even though I appreciate it) … but I seek for the profit which increases to your account (from God when you give).

 

You’re invited to join in giving…to make giving to Barah Ministries part of your weekly routine.God blesses your giving and makes it have impact in places all over the worldwith people you know nothing about.  Simultaneously, God gives abundant credit back to your account.  If you listen to Barah Ministries, we appreciate it when you contribute to Barah Ministries.  No amount is too small.

 

Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

FIRST TIMOTHY 4:15

Take pains with your spiritual gift…be absorbed in it…so that your progress will be evident to all.

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Provided Freedom from the Bondage of Religion

 

Welcome to The Lord’s Supper Celebration, the most intimate expression of our deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In this celebration, the Lord reminds us of the unity all believers in Christ possess by sharing His body and His blood with us.  In First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 26, the apostle Paul says, on behalf of the Lord…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26a

…as often as you eat this bread (representing His body) … and as often as

you drink this cup (representing His blood) … as part of the Lord’s Supper Celebration…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26b

…you proclaim as a reality and you announce the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross…and His resurrection from the dead…until He comes again at the second coming.

 

Every month, we celebrate The Lord’s Supper to REMEMBER…that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, dependent on Him for our so great salvation; that we are in union with Christ and nothing can separate us from our union with Him; that the Lord loves us unconditionally; that we are forgiven for every sin past, present, and future; and that we have the Lord’s grace to help in times of need, especially when we make mistakes.

 

The Lord’s Supper Celebration is often called communion.  It’s our chance to commune with the Lord.

 

The Lord’s Supper Celebration is sacred, so it’s not something we take for granted.  It’s not something we do “on the fly.”  So have bread and wine in front of you, and as we enjoy the elements, let’s remember our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ, both for our physical and our spiritual sustenance.

 

As we celebrate The Lord’s Supper, we ask ourselves in reflection, “What did the Lord Jesus Christ do for us at the Cross?”  At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ provided freedom from the bondage of religion.

 

It has always been the Lord’s intention for us to know the truth in everything.  When we know the truth, we know the Lord because He IS truth.  John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

 

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to the doubting apostleThomas, “I am the way (to salvation) … and I AM THE TRUTH (through the gospel message in the Word of God) … and I am the resurrection life (eternal life) …and no one comes to God the Father in heaven but through believing in Me.”

 

The Lord wants us to know the truth, because as He says in John, Chapter 8, Verse 32…

 

JOHN 8:32

“…you will know the truth…and the truth will make you free.”

 

Yet the Lord allows us to live in a world filled with deception.  As He prayed to His Father the night before He was crucified, He asked God the Father to protect us in Satan’s kingdom.  John, Chapter 17, Verses 15 to 17…

 

JOHN 17:15

Father, I (the Lord Jesus Christ) do not ask You to take My believers out of the world…but to keep them from the evil one.

 

JOHN 17:16

They are not of the world…even as I am not of the world.

 

JOHN 17:17

Sanctify them in the truth…Your word is truth.

 

So there is a competition for your mind between a Being who is the source of truth the Lord Jesus Christ…and a being, Satan, the enemy of God, who is the source of deception.  Revelation, Chapter 12, Verse 9…

 

REVELATION 12:9a

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world...

 

The strategy Satan perpetrates against the human race is religion.

 

Jesus was criticized by religious people because of the company He frequented.  Matthew, Chapter 9, Verses 10 to 13…

 

MATTHEW 9:10

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

 

MATTHEW 9:11

When the Pharisees (the religious elite) saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”

 

Tax collectors were considered to be the lowest of the low…and sinners was a euphemism for prostitutes.

 

MATTHEW 9:12

But when Jesus heard this, He said to the Pharisees, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick need a physician.”

 

MATTHEW 9:13

"But you Pharisees should go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion and not sacrifice' … for I (the Lord Jesus Christ) did not come to call the righteous (those who believe in Me)…but I came to call sinners (unbelievers).”

 

The ironic thing about the claim of the Pharisees is that Jesus spent just as much time around them, sinners, as He did around the people the Pharisees were mocking.

 

We are surrounded by family and friends who are religious.  As we learned in Romans, Chapter 2, they are deceived.  So what can we do as believers in Christ to help those around us who are religious?  We can help them by offering them discernment.

 

One of the reasons the religious are deceived is that they have not examined the doctrines of their religion.  They simply accept that being a part of a religion is just what they have always done.  Maybe they were born into a religious family, and unbeknownst to them they were indoctrinated by people they trust…their parents.

 

If they examined the doctrines of their religion, and compared those deceptions to what the Word of God…the truth…has to say…perhaps their eyes might be opened to the deceptions.

Can your eyes see the deception of religion?

 

I guess if you have been learning the truth as you study with Barah Ministries, you can see the lies.

 

Here are some lies proposed by the Roman Catholic Church in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1423 to 1498.

 

THE LIES OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

 

Only priests can forgive sins in the name of Christ.

 

As we know, ONLY the blood of Christ shed at the Cross can forgive sins.  Colossians, Chapter 1, Verse 19 and 20…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:19

For it was God the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness (of Deity) to dwell in the Christ (in bodily form) …

 

COLOSSIANS 1:20

…and through the Lord, God the Father reconciled ALL THINGS to Himself…having made peace through the blood of the Lord’s Cross…through Jesus, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

 

THE LIES OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

 

Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church. Penance recovers the grace of justification and is the only means of reconciliation with God.

 

The truth is the gift of justification is given as a gift to anyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Genesis, Chapter 15, Verse 6…

 

GENESIS 15:6

Then Abraham believed in the Lord…and the Lord credited Abraham’s faith to him as righteousness.

 

By believing the Lord, Abraham was justified.  Once a person is justified by God, they cannot lose their justification.

 

Reconciliation with God is provided by Christ’s work at the Cross.  Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 20…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:20

Therefore, we believers in Christ are ambassadors for Christ…as though God the Father were making an appeal through us (because He is)…we beg you unbelievers on behalf of Christ…be reconciled to God (through the work of Christ at the Cross).

 

THE LIES OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

 

The sinner must recover his spiritual health by doing something to make amends for the sin…he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate’ his sins. This satisfaction is called penance.

 

The Lord’s work at the Cross is the expiation for sins.  Expiation involves making amends for a wrong done.  Sinners cannot expiate their own sins.

 

Here are a few more of the lies…

 

THE LIES OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

 

Forgiveness of sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with the Church. Since ancient times the bishop, the visible head of a particular Church, has thus rightfully been considered to be the one who principally has the power and ministry of reconciliation…he is the moderator of the penitential discipline.

 

THE LIES OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

 

Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church…above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion.

 

Baptismal grace is salvation.  It is proposed by the Roman Catholic Church that you can lose your salvation by sinning.

 

THE LIES OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM

 

It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to RECOVER the (lost) grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as “the second plank of salvationafter the shipwreck which is the loss of grace (salvation).”

 

We could go on.

 

Suffice it to say that there is a very real deception going on in the world called religion, and an examination of the “truths” of the religion when compared side by side with the absolute truth of the Bible easily exposes the lie.

 

That’s not to say those we love will accept what we share with them.  But they definitely will see it, just as you did.

 

Let’s pray for those whom we love who are religious, and let’s help them see the deceptions of their religion.  And let’s thank the Lord for His work at the Cross which provided freedom from the bondage of religion.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Enjoying the Elements

 

Bread and wine.

 

The Lord gave us these things to remember Him.  We will enjoy the elements together in a few moments as we listen to The Lord’s Supper Song.

 

Matthew, Chapter 26, Verses 26 to 28 tells us the reason the Lord wants us to celebrate this meal together…

 

MATTHEW 26:26

While the apostles were eating, Jesus took some bread…and after a blessing…He

broke the bread, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take…eat…this is My body which is being broken for you.”

 

MATTHEW 26:27

And when Jesus had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it…all of you…”

 

MATTHEW 26:28

“…for this is My blood…the blood of a new covenant…My blood…poured out for WHOSOEVER…for the forgiveness of sins.”

 

We celebrate to REMEMBER…that Jesus Christ’s BLOOD paid for our sins…that Jesus Christ died as our sin substitute…that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead to prove His Deity…that Jesus Christ saved us believers in Christ from being targets of the wrath of God the Father…that Jesus Christ will come again to gather us unto Himself.

 

As believers in Christ, we are grateful that His work on the Cross gives us hope... the assurance of an amazing future.

 

Enjoy the elements as you listen to a song that tells the absolute truth about our God…Lenny LeBlanc says THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER SONG

 

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Lenny LeBlanc

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race

 

The next ten minutes could be the ten most important minutes of your life.  You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life.  We want you to know that…

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

…and what he wants for you is that you make the most important decision of your life.

 

There is a Person who IS Christianity…Jesus Christ…the most important Being in the universe…the Sovereign God...the preeminent God…the ONE and ONLY God.  He created you…He loves you unconditionally…and He wants a relationship with you.  That’s good news for you!

 

The bad news is that you were born with a problem.  From the moment of your physical birth, God considered you a sinner.  Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 10…

 

ROMANS 3:10

…it is written, “There is no creature who is righteous, not even one…”

 

Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23…

 

ROMANS 3:23

…all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

 

These verses are a formal accusation from God about YOU…an indictment.

 

It’s not your fault that you’re a sinner from physical birth, but it is your circumstance.

 

Unfortunately, being a sinner has a penalty.  Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 23…

 

ROMANS 6:23

For the payment earned for being a sinner is both spiritual death and physical death…

 

You were born with Adam’s first sin credited to you and to all members of the human race.  In addition, you commit your own set of personal sins.  God requires perfection for you to get into heaven.  Those who sin don’t meet God’s perfect standards.  Trying to make up for your sins by “being a good person” or by trying to work your way into heaven with imperfect deeds, doesn’t impress God at all.

 

This gospel message is the good news concerning what the Lord did to fix the bad news for sinners.  Jesus Christ paid a price with His blood on a Cross so that sinners can be saved.  Responding to His gospel message is the chance to have a personal relationship with Jesus.  Here’s what the Lord said to a self-righteous Pharisee, Nicodemus, in John, Chapter 3, Verse 3…

 

JOHN 3:3

“Truly, truly, I say to you, Nicodemus…unless you are BORN AGAIN (the spiritual birth)…you cannot see the kingdom of God the Father in heaven.”

 

Fortunately for you, God the Father wants you in heaven.  Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8 says…

 

ROMANS 5:8

God the Father demonstrates His own unconditional love toward all mankind…in that while we were yet sinners (while we were unrighteous, ungodly, unbelievers) …Christ died (a sacrificial death) for us.

 

Who is this God who saves you?  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ…in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4

…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…

 

Absolute righteousness is the admission ticket to heaven.  It is the key to eternal life…the resurrection life…and it is yours FREE OF CHARGE… RIGHT NOW…if you want it.  Romans, Chapter 10, Verses 9 to 11 say this…

 

ROMANS 10:9

…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord (that He is God)…and if you believe in your heart that God the Father raised Him from the dead…you will be saved…

 

ROMANS 10:10

…for with the heart a person believes…resulting in the imputation of absolute righteousness (your admission ticket to heaven)…and with the mouth a person confesses (choosing faith in Christ alone)…resulting in salvation.

 

ROMANS 10:11

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ will not be disappointed.”

 

So, accept the invitation and heed the warning of John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment…but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

 

There is a hell…a very real place…and it is described this way in the Bible…Matthew, Chapter 13, Verses 41 to 42…

 

MATTHEW 13:41

The Son of Man (the Lord Jesus Christ) will send forth His elect angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks (unbelievers)…and those who commit lawlessness (unbelievers)…

 

MATTHEW 13:42

…andthe elect angelswill throw unbelievers into the furnace of fire (the Lake of Fire)…in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

For those without a relationship with Christ, He’ll just ask them to step to the left and to take the “HELLIVATOR” … just press down.

 

Believers in Christ have a different fate…Matthew, Chapter 13, Verse 43…

 

MATTHEW 13:43

Then the righteous (believers in Christ) will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father…

 

Getting to heaven is easy…Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by God, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

Sinners need a Savior.  That Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Believe in Him and you will be saved!

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music!  How does it feel to be in the hands of the ultimate artist?  Isaiah, Chapter 64, Verse 8 says…

 

ISAIAH 64:8

But now, O Lord…You are our Father…we are the clay and You are our potter… and all of us are the work of Your hand.

 

Here’s Pat Barrett to tell us about the artist in his song CANVAS AND THE CLAY.

 

MUSIC

CLOSING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

CANVAS AND CLAY

Pat Barrett

 

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

…thank you for all the things You did for us, even before we were born…thank you for knowing us intimately…thank you for always having us in your mind…thank you for giving us the truth that sets us free…

 

…as you know Father, we have a conference coming up…we’ll be studying a subject that is disturbing to the kingdom of darkness…protect us as we study…and traveling mercies to all who are coming in for the conference…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Please make it a habit to listen to the announcements.  They are posted separately.  Keep current on the things going on and coming up in Barah Ministries.

 

DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE

 

Cancelled for Today

 

GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS?

 

Ask the Pastor

pastor@barahministries.com

 

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Send your request to pastor@barahministries.com

 

KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!

 

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

 

www.barahministries.com